What it means to be an AAA Auto Repair Shop

by Dennis, Cars for Keeps Customer Service Manager

I had a customer call me several weeks ago in a panic. They were in Florida on vacation and their vehicle had developed a leak. They didn’t know what to do. They said “Cars for Keeps had always taken care of them”. They didn’t know who they could trust, down there.

I told them not to worry; all they needed to do, was locate a AAA Approved Auto Repair Shop. Which they did, and all was well. So maybe you are wondering, what’s with the AAA Auto Repair Shop.

AAA Auto Repair Shops have strict rules they have to comply with. Some of these rule are as follows. A clean facility, State Certified mechanic (ours are ASE certified, one step above state), at a minimum a 12/12 warranty ( we have up to 36/36). They have to have a history of honesty and integrity. This is found out by AAA surveying up to 200 of recent customers, at random. That way AAA gets an honest opinion.

The shop needs a 98% Customer Satisfaction Rate and to needs to comply with specific training and qualifications. They also need to have specific tools of the trade over and above the basics. These are just some of the criteria that a shop needs to be AAA Approved. I hope this helps you understand what it means for us at Cars for Keeps and other shops to be AAA Approved, and why I felt confident in sending one of our customers to a shop that has this approval.

Until next time, Happy and safe driving.

A Woman's Point of View: Black Ice, Heating/Cooling and Mufflers

by Colette, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Going down the list of subjects we should be talking about in our Blog, I find myself thinking about my own past experiences with my cars. For example; Driving On Ice Safely.

Take one teenager driving her father’s car at night on slippery streets. I come to a stop where I either have to turn right or left. Directly ahead is someone’s driveway that leads to the garage. Simple enough except I can’t stop. I am continuing to slide all the way down the driveway where the door to the garage is open, thinking, “I am going to go right through the back of this man’s garage”, “I wonder what is behind the garage? A cliff?”, and “My dad is going to kill me when he gets the bill for this one”. The happy ending was that I stopped inside the garage before reaching the back wall. Whew!

Or the subject of Heating/Cooling System Maintenance. We all know that a lot of heat is generated in a running vehicle. The cooling system is to keep the engine heat down so the engine won’t burn up. Very important. A friend, who was a long distance trucker, once told me that he would wrap a beef roast, potatoes and corn on the cob in tinfoil and cook it on his manifold. He said it would take up to 350 miles in the summer and about 700 miles in the winter to cook it to perfection. I am fairly gullible so I still don’t know if I should believe it or not. I would like some feedback on that one.

And, last but not least, the subject of Cars For Keeps Muffler Shop. I am having this image in my mind of our mechanics, Mike, Robert and Steve, sitting on oil cans out in the garage knitting these long, long scarves (used to be called mufflers) and then wrapping them around the car’s windows and tying them expertly with various knots. To bring out the personality of each car, of course. Color is important. I have to stop my imagination before this turns into a Disney movie.

To finish on a serious note, winter is very hard on mufflers, what with the extreme cold, ice chips flying up under your car and scraping bottom on snow and ice. Tis the season to be a little more aware of what is happening underneath your vehicle.

How to Drive on Black Ice

by Rob Hopp, Cars for Keeps Owner

If you have ever encountered black ice while driving, you know the pulse pounding, adrenaline pumping, heart dropping "Oh MY" feeling I refer to.

Crying Mommy! might help hold off the panic but won't keep you out of the ditch.

There are several items to be aware of that may help you avoid a near coronary in the first place.

Tuesday morning's drive to Big Rapids gave me a bit more first hand experience. The overpasses & underpasses were extra treacherous. The strong side wind was a significant factor as well. The pavement looked sugary, the right lane was glossy "in the groove", but was just as slick outside the groove.

1. Check the forecast. Conditions for black ice are fairly predictable by the weather services. Identifying it while on the road is difficult at best, unless you are already on it. Pavement with black ice will be a little darker and duller than the rest of the road surface.

2. Be extra aware of the traffic ahead (Uh... NOT by being closer) If you see brake lights, fish tailing cars, sideways cars or emergency flashers, slow down even more. Down shifting gently to a lower gear can help you stay within an engine speed range that will give you more control at lower speeds (if your engine is running at 1,500 rpm's it is much less responsive than at 2,500 or 3,000 rpms).

3. If you don't know how your vehicle responds in a skid, find a parking lot and TRY IT! Try it until your response becomes more natural. Build that "muscle memory". You need to react. Most of the time you won't have time to think about it. Front wheel drive responds differently than rear wheel drive and all wheel drive. All wheel (or four wheel) drive is a wonderful thing, but you can't fight physics. On black ice, we're all about equal. Anti-lock brakes make very little difference on black ice, they rely on at least one wheel having at least partial traction to activate effectively.

4.If your tires are worn, all of the conditions above are multiplied exponentially. I often preach and ALWAYS practice that good tires are cheap insurance.

5. If you hear that black ice is expected, stay where you are if you can.

Black ice can lead to a scary, expensive hard ditch landing or worse. Take the time to know the feel of your ride, look at the forecast and avoid the gottagetthereitis we all suffer from at times.

What it Means to be an AAA Approved Auto Repair Shop

by Rob Hopp, Cars for Keeps Owner

Fewer than 2% of all Michgan Auto Repair Shops ever become AAA Approved. We are the only one in the area, and being a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility is a proud honor for Cars for Keeps. To be AAA Approved means that we have met the strict quality standards for auto repair and customer service of the AAA Auto Club.

This means they trust us enough to send their members to us for auto repair and maintenance.

When an AAA member needs to be towed to an auto repair shop, we are a shop they recommend. In order to remain an AAA Approved Auto Repair shop, we receive periodical visits from an inspector sent by the Auto Club to make sure we are adhering to their stringent standards. They also take hundreds of our actual repair orders and survey our customers to see how they were treated and how our service worked out. Our most recent survey resulted in a Customer Satisfaction Rating of over 98%.

The AAA is serious about making sure we are a trustworthy shop that performs a high level of quality workmanship and customer service. In other words, if the AAA can trust us enough to send their members here, so can you. This along with our recognition by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence helps ensure our people are educated and trained in the latest automotive technologies, procedures and techniques that fix your car for keeps.

To learn more about the AAA's auto repair certification program, visit the AAA Michigan website.

Timing Belt Tuesday Plus! (the "Cats" are away...)

Mike sent this out to our email contacts, but I wanted to make sure all our bloggers knew about this super secret special. Looks like next Tuesday is a good day to get that timing belt replaced. The mice at Cars for Keeps are some hard working critters! Don't forget to read Mike's sharing disclaimer at the bottom, and make sure you call 616-846-1986 to book this offer. - Marjorie

Hi, this is Michael from Cars for Keeps.

We found out that Dennis and Rob are going to an all day meeting next Tuesday, So I thought we could surprise them by showing how much we can get done, while running a smooth shop all day.

Dennis sends out these Timing Belt Tuesday messages, so I thought we could sweeten the deal a bit with Valentines coming & all.

If you drive a car with a timing belt, you'll need to have us service it sooner or later. To urge you to service it sooner, we'll give you an instant rebate equal to 20% of the total cost of your bill (even including other services) up to $200.00!

Now, we are known to be a fun loving group out here in the shop, but now we are extending this to ANY work done this coming Tuesday January 26th, 2010 (Rob will want to whip me, but I'll just blame it on Congress or someone nearby).

One note; I can't offer this discount on oil changes, tires or batteries, otherwise Dennis might make me work on all the French cars & Yugo's from now on.

If you are one of the first two clientsto take advantage of this offer, we will throw in aBONUS, FREE rental car for the day ($26.00 value). Or -A FREE pair of Bosch Evolution Wiper Blades(up to a $38.00 Value!)

This offer is only sent to our valued clients. It is NOT offered to walk-in customers or through any other advertising, so it is indeed a unique and valuable deal, however feel free to forward this to any of your friends & family that might be in need of this service. We always appreciate your kind referrals. Now, To take advantage of us, just reply to this e-mail if you need the free rental, or to be extra certain you are one of the first, call us at (616) 846-1989 right now!

When and How to Use 4 Wheel Drive (Including a Red Green Demonstration)

by Marjorie, Social Media Manager

Four wheel driving was a mystery to me until I started driving on the dunes. There's no better place to learn about the mechanical ins and outs of four wheel drive than Silver Lake Sand Dunes - preferably NOT on Memorial Day weekend.

But since it's not summer, using four wheel drive for snowy and icy conditions is a far more pressing topic. Let's review a few facts about four wheel drive, including when and how to use it.

When to use 4 wheel drive (all wheel drive). Four wheel drive works best when trying to maneuver through a deep or sludgy substance - like sand dunes, or heavy snow. Please keep in mind that all wheel drive is not a cure-all for bad conditions; it simply gives you more power during situations when you need it the most - like when we're having an all Michigan 15 inch snowstorm. Just remember: 4 wheel drive is the much-loved vehicle setting for off-roaders. Are you driving in off-road-like settings? If not, don't use it. Deep snow, slush and sand are the best times to turn on your all wheel drive.

Four wheel drive limitations. It's important to note that all wheel drive helps you gain more traction and power, but inversely does NOT help you stop. When going downhill on icy or slick surfaces, all wheel drive can actually make a situation worse if you're not careful with your speed. Take it from the girl who nearly banked an old F150 full of maple sap on icy backroads. Momentum causes your vehicle to go faster, and having rear (or front) wheels disengaged from the engine can actually help you slow. So if you're cresting a particularly icy hill in 4 wheel, shift back into 2 wheel if you can. If you can't, follow the cardinal rule of inclement weather and take it slow.

Return to 2 wheel drive on dry pavement. If you have to lock your hubs, pull over in a safe place and unlock them once you're back on dry pavement. Same goes for driving on dry roads before you get to deep snow or sand (as any dune driver would know, we only let the air out and lock hubs immediately prior to entering the dunes. Wooo!). Driving on hard, dry roads in four wheel drive can cause damage to your vehicle's driveshafts, transfer case or differentials. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'm sure it would send Rob, Dennis and Bobby into fits.

Those are the major points we'll cover for today. Now, a "bit of fun" by Red Green. Please, please don't try this at home.

Cars for Keeps Welcomes a New Crewmember (and gives away some stuff)

by Dennis Sweet, Customer Service Manager

The New Year brings some exciting changes to Cars for Keeps.

First, we welcome Steve Stefanits to our Crew. Steve brings twenty years of experience in American and Asian automotive service to our lineup. Steve has developed his skills over the years through conventional training along with factory training in Subaru, General Motors and Chrysler products. We first talked with Steve about joining us in 1993. We are proud and grateful to have him as part of our team. Welcome aboard Steve!

In Honor of Steve's favorite car brand, Cars for Keeps is offering an additional 10% off any Subaru service. Just call and mention you read our blog!

Second, we roll out our newest customer benefit; Seasonal Pit Stops! In racing, a "pit stop" is where quick, minor services are performed to get racers back in action as fast as possible with the best odds of making it the maximum distance before another pit stop is required. The "pits" are a spot just off the race track. Our goal is be there for you, at YOUR convenience to make sure your race continues without car grief.

At Cars for Keeps, we use the term Pit Stop to explain our strategy of making sure your ride is ready for another round of safe, reliable driving with the unique challenges of the next season. Cold, Slick, Hot or Rainy, you'll be ready.So in order to make sure you aren't sacrificing your safety, reliability or budget, we offer our clients the Seasonal Pit Stop.

The Cars for Keeps Pit Stop simply allows us an opportunity to check your vehicles lights, tires, wipers, belts, hoses and fluids. We analyze all the fluids, including the engine oil to make sure they are fully capable of protecting their related systems.

The best part of the Cars for Keeps Pit Stop is that it's absolutely FREE for our clients. All it takes is your participation in pre-scheduling your pit stop, allowing us to contact you via e-mail for your reminder and then coming in at the scheduled time or re-scheduling if the original time does not work out for you. Call us at 616-846-1989 to schedule your free pit stop.

Safe driving!